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If the Roman Empire never collapsed Wiki
Welcome to the If the Roman Empire never collapsed Wiki This is a wiki of if the Roman Empire never fell, and still existed today Original Divergence After Emperor Theodosius' death in 392 ACE, his elder son, Arcadius inherited and took over the entire Roman Empire, keeping both halves united. A weak ruler himself, he allowed his ministers and the Senate to take over near complete governance of the Empire. Under the stronger leadership of the Senate, the Empire was able to subdue the Germanic uprisings and secure and stabilize the region and the entire empire. Religion Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 BCE with the Edict of Thessalonica, and Christianity continued to dominate other religions, and pagan worship of the Roman gods was snuffed out completely by the year 500 BCE. Eventually the Catholic Church became corrupted by their power and influence over the people, but no one ever stepped up to challenge them because of their immense power, so Europe remained completely united with religious uniformity. The Church remained a corrupted establishment, but any leader who attempted to reform was taken out by the highest-ranking members of the Church. As a result, the Church is a highly controversial establishment in the modern world, with opinions widely split over whether it needs to change. Many subversives practice their own version of Christianity in private in their homes, refusing to accept the teachings and actions of the Church. The Nordic states for the most part still worship the Norse gods, although there are some that have been converted to Christianity. Estimates put the Christian population of the Nordic states at about 4% of the total population. The Mongolian Territories are mostly unknown to modern day. Most Romans are too scared of the Mongol war chiefs and their wild hordes to dare a trip across the border. Most who venture forth never come back. As a result, no one knows much about the Mongol religion, but some theorize that they worship ancient warlords such as Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan. The Unexplored Area south of the Roman territories in Africa is a mystery in almost every way. A few daring explorers have ventured into that land, but they rarely encounter any people. It is thought that these people are extremely secretive and most likely live in small tribes with tribal religions and rituals. Society Roman society had a strict social hierarchy to begin with, and that never really changed. Slavery remained legal in the Empire until 1896 BCE, however, laws protecting the welfare of slaves and granting slaves more rights and abilities had been implemented starting all the way back in the 300s BCE. Most slaves were prisoners taken in the many wars fought throughout Roman history and were of many different backgrounds, not one single oppressed race. By the mid-1200s BCE slavery was mostly a formality, as most slaves led somewhat decent lives. Slaves were allowed to hold property, make money, and vote. Slaves could also buy their freedom from their masters if they could save up enough money. Laws had been in place since the 400s BCE protecting slaves from harsh, unjust punishment, and slaves often lived in comfortable quarters. The difference in wealth between the poor and the rich is staggering, but there exists a small middle class of merchants and businessmen, mostly focused on providing goods and services for the rich. The poor mostly make their own things and have few luxuries. Many poor are contented with this life because of their strong faith. The Church teaches that suffering will make it easier for them to reach heaven, and that those marginalized on earth will be the first to enter heaven. Government After transfer of power from the emperors to the Senate, the power of the emperors dwindled over the years, and has become a quasi-ceremonious position in the modern ages. The Senate positions are now elected by the masses, and the majority of the population, even women and slaves, are allowed to vote in the elections, held every 6 years. The Senate still consists of mostly rich men, who are the only ones who can afford to be educated in the subjects required for holding a position in the Senate. However, in recent years a few select people from the lower and middle classes have been able to win Senate positions after teaching themselves, and the number of lower-class people in the Senate has increased in each of the last 20 elections. World Landscape The tension between the Mongolian Territory and the Roman Empire is incredibly high, and war seems inevitable and most likely not far off. The Empire is fed up with the constant raiding of the Mongols on the shared border, and wants access to the untapped resources in the Mongolian Territory The Nordic states agreed to peace with the Romans in 1756 BCE, realizing that their forces could never hope to defeat the massive Roman army in battle. The two states have strong trade relations, with the Nordic states providing much of the Roman Empire with furs, fish, crops, beer, and even weapons. This peace is celebrated every 4 years with a festival that runs through every town along the shared border. At this festival, plays are enacted satirizing the wars and squabbles between the two empires. They share cultural delicacies, and the Nordic president meets with the Roman Emperor in an exchange of faith to share each’s advancements. Technology The power of the Church has limited the growth of many technological fields, except for medicine. The brightest minds in the Roman Empire study medicine and medical advances, and as a result the average life expectancy in the empire is now almost 100 years. Almost every infection or disease has a cure. Development of weapons hasn’t progressed far beyond cannons and revolvers. Many Nordic soldiers still use traditional axes. The Mongol tribes still fight from horseback, many still preferring bow and arrows to modern guns. The Roman army still mainly uses phalanx tactics and shield walls in open battle. As a result, most Roman soldiers carry both a handgun and either a sword, axe, or spear, often tipped in poison. Because of the crude nature of modern warfare and weapons in the AT, most are hesitant to go to war because of how violent and bloody such an affair would be. As neither the Mongols nor the Romans have a technological advantage, neither side is rushing to war because they don’t feel they have an advantage . Getting around the Empire is still a slow process. Trains run between most major cities, but if you want to get out to the countryside you have to go by boat or by horse-drawn carriage. The same is mostly true of the Nordic States as well. The Mongol tribes travel around in their hordes on horseback. Latest activity Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Add one below! Category:Browse